Saturday, September 3, 2016

During my trip to New York City, I paid a visit to Bliss Spa to try out their iconic Triple Oxygen Facial. I'm more about DIY and at-home facials so it's always a treat to visit a professional spa to get pampered. Also, because Bliss has a huge line of skin care products that I have very much enjoyed in the past, I was very excited for my visit. To read about my full experience and for a chance to win a Bliss prize pack valued at ~$300, click.......

Bliss 49 NYC | Main Lobby

Located on Lexington Avenue in Midtown East Manhattan, Bliss 49 is one of three Bliss locations in New York City. I know I'm pretty new to the "spa scene" but man this place is huge- gazillion times bigger than any other spas I've visited! With two separated levels, Bliss 49 has a main level filled with Bliss and other brand's skincare products for purchase. There is a large pedi-mani area as Bliss also offers a wide array of manicure and pedicure options. For all other types of appointments (facials, massages, body treatment, waxing, laser hair removal, and various minor cosmetic treatments), the spa rooms are accessible by a private elevator to the second floor.

Bliss 49 NYC | Locker Room

Once I reached the second level, I was given a quick tour of the facility by a staff member. There is a large locker area where I changed and locked away my belongings. There is a huge bathroom area full of Bliss products to try out and I like how there are several bath stalls, so if you wanted to shower before heading off to work or an event, you have all the supplies to do so.

Bliss 49 NYC | Bathroom & Shower Area

After changing into a nice white robe, I went to a really cozy waiting area full of magazines and nibbles (they had brownie bites and fresh fruits). The place was too dim to take a picture of but it was a really nice area to relax and fill out a basic health status and preferences questionnaire before going into your treatment. This is my first time visiting a Bliss Spa, so I chose to try out their signature Triple Oxygen Facial. A 75-minute facial focusing on energizing and refreshing the skin, the Triple Oxygen Facial centers around the brand's Trip Oxygen Facial skincare collection.

However, I am not sure if my esthetician did exactly as the procedures shown in the video. Although the reason may have been that she didn't really describe any of the steps along the way. Perhaps Bliss get a lot of return guests that know the routine, but my esthetician definitely aimed for a more stress-free, lie back and relax type of experience that involved minimal talking. So from what I can gather, she first cleansed my skin with a gel cleanser, then used a peel which she covered with saran wrap before wrapping my face with a hot towel. After that she removed the peel, toned my skin, and did a lot of extractions (removal of white and blackheads using a sanitized metal tool), especially on my forehead, chin, and nose. Next, she toned my skin again and applied the Triple Oxygen Foaming Mask and let that sit for quite a while. Lastly, after the removal of the mask, she applied a very cooling vitaminized oxygen spray on my face and applied a moisturizer. Throughout the entire treatment, she massaged my shoulder, neck, arms, and legs.

Bliss 49 NYC | Second Floor Lobby

My favorite step of the procedure was definitely the peel and the mask. The warm towel over the face made me feel so relaxed and the arm and leg massages were very good at alleviating my sore limbs from walking all around Manhattan during my trip. My appointment was 8am on a Saturday morning but I was pretty shocked at how quickly the spa filled up. By the time I was leaving there was already a large number of people waiting for their treatments so I definitely recommend booking well ahead of time. My overall impression of the spa is good. This is definitely a very large facility used to having a ton of guests. If you want a very personalized and cozy, this may not be for you. If you want something more efficient, more accommodating to a hectic lifestyle, then Bliss is definitely a better choice. Another plus is that Bliss is very gender-friendly; the place houses a separate locker, shower, and waiting area for men, along with specific treatments designed for men.

Availability:
Bliss has spa locations in New York City, Hollywood, San Francisco, Boston, and various other locales across the globe.

Last but not least, Bliss has kindly offered me the entire Triple Oxygen Collection to give away! I will be opening this to only Canadian readers since we don't yet have a Bliss in Canada. So hopefully with these products, you can enjoy the same kind of Triple Oxygen experience that I did! To win all of the following products, please visit my Instagram post and follow the instructions described! Good Luck!